tigerdude, sorry to hear about your having tough times and your loss of your friend. It`s also ok to fell panicked when life side swipes you .
Taking care of your family first is important but before you start selling off things, go to your local workforce center, even if you do not qualify for unemployment , you will find some very good resources . And with a background you have in health care you might find yourself more in demand than you might think.
I lost a 20 yr career 2 yrs ago and can not work becase of back injuries. My wife workes but her income was`nt enough to make the house payments. The first year I found myself using the very organizations I had donated to for so many years. What goes around comes around.
After 2yrs we`re back on our feet , still have our home. And I could stand to lose a few pounds.
Get the Sunday paper and look thru the jobs and check in with your closest work force center first thing Monday morning.
Another thing I did was call my creditors first thing. Every one of them worked with me and my credit was never damaged.
I wish you the best of luck and hope things turn around for you.