Cat in neuro phd program

[neurophd]

Sorry if this is not the right place to post--I'm looking for advice regarding schooling and my cat. I've had my cat for just under a year now which is practically her whole life, and throughout this entire time she's experienced GI distress involving bloody stools, diarrhea, and vomiting. This last year I had some disposable income to spend on vet bills and a flexible lab job where I could afford to work from home or take days off to care for her as necessary. I also had the physical and emotional support of my roommate/good friend and my boyfriend regarding her care, as well as parents living nearby to assist with money and other support. 

I'm about to start a PhD program in neuroscience which will mean a few hours a week in class and several hours a week in lab. I had already planned on moving with my cat because it's nearly impossible to imagine my life without her. However this last weekend she needed to be hospitalized which amounted to close to $3000 in vet bills with the diagnosis of "fever of unknown origin" meaning no obvious or even difficult to find pathogens which may have resulted in her fever. I'm now concerned due to this incident that I will not have the time to care for her due to a hectic first-year grad student schedule and, more importantly, because I will need to spend some weeks of the year away for conferences. I will be living with roommates again, though I do not have the same relationship with these girls as I did with my previous roommate. I'm new to the area and will need at least a year to develop a strong network of support as I had in my previous location. I've taken her to various vets and discussed what to do in the case of future flare-ups and I keep hearing that she *may* be fine on the prescription diet and with the supplements she's already taking, but that there is still an inherent risk in terms of both her chronic GI condition and the potential for future recurrence of fever since we still don't know what caused it. As a case example of what I'm afraid will happen--I had booked a trip to visit my boyfriend (who I am now in a LDR with which is already tough to manage with the stresses of school) which I had to cancel because her fever flare-up occurred a few days before I planned to leave. In this scenario, it was very sad for me to call off the trip, but still manageable--I can't afford for this situation to happen, for example, before/during a conference, patient visit, exams, etc.

Please note that while still a concern, money is not the most pressing issue in my case. I want to do what's right for myself and my cat, even if it means needing to provide her with a new forever home. I'm heartbroken about this situation and wondering if anyone has advice regarding personal experiences with cats with GI distress, how hectic grad school life is, and/or any other relevant situations.

Thanks for your time.