COBRA costs more than my rent, what did you do? (Tucson)

I just got my COBRA paperwork and the deadline to decide is close. There are 16 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. My old employer will not help with the premium. Is the decision time really that tight?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.