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For me the pump is my only current alternative. The pills quit working. The shots were not only painful, but caused side effects such as nausea and they didn't work anyway as I would only get about half hard. Insurance won't pay for an implant until I'm old enough for Medi-Care in another year. So the pump is all I've got.
It does work. I can have successful and satisfying sex. But its a real pain in the ass to use. I usually pump up two or three times before putting on the rings to maximize the erection. I then have to use two high tension rings to maintain it. This whole process generally take about 15 minutes. Meanwhile my lady is kept hanging. It can dampen the mood a bit. There is no such thing as spontaneous sex.
Its uncomfortable at first, but after a few minutes I don't even notice it anymore. I'm not sure if this is due to numbness or just that my focus has turned elsewhere. After about ten minutes, my penis does turn purple and gets somewhat cold. However, my lady never complained. She did get satisfied and so did I.
Honestly, I'm just waiting to get on Medi-Care so I can get an implant. Although I am considering trying the new Wave Therapy.

Meanwhile my lady is kept hanging

She could be doing her own "prep" work while you are pumping.
My suggestions are your lady look into experimenting with one or more of the following: a vibrator, clit sensitizer spray, and a clit pump.

two high tension rings to maintain it

Have you tried experimenting with different combinations? Maybe a high tension and a medium or two mediums, etc. I do this in private by myself. I have had good luck pumping up, adding 1 ring, reloading the cylinder with another ring and repumping, then adding the 2nd ring.

I have found a foam sleeve helps with some of the discomfort.

Since you are "stuck" using the pump for at least a year you should experiment to see if there are ways to make using it easier and more fun.
Some guys, myself included, have found using a small dose of Viagra or other PDE5 facilitates use of the pump. Doesn't seem to matter that the stuff no longer works on its own. It cuts down on the time to get to a proper erection. Pre-pumping with a cheap penis pump before using the VED seems to help also.