I'm so sorry. I hope you have a good support system in place. I lost my husband in September after many years of illness (it wasn't cancer). Sending you hugs and an invitation to PM me (hmmm, do we have that here?) if you ever want to chat.
Oh my, this is terrible! It would have been better for you if you had been the homeowner. I'm even sadder now that you are dealing with this. $2500 doesn't buy much these days, and since you may have to move out your belongings (I assume) that's an expense right there that can eat up all that...
Wow, that sure was a clean break in your ceiling and no debris covering everything. Hopefully you will only be out for a short time while repairs are made rather than the whole house having to be torn down and replaced.
New AARP sweeps listed today for Staples ($10 gift card) and I just got a winning screen! Well at least I didn't go through all of January without a win.