COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives?

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a graphic designer. I have read a lot of threads here and could not find my exact situation. 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 10 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.