I kinda understand where you're coming from. Almost five years after my hit-and-run (that almost killed me) I'm just now getting the guts to get back in the saddle. It was a 5-lane 55mph highway for me. (labeled as part of a bike route.) If there was a sidewalk, I'd be very, very tempted to ride on it until I got closer to town.
Is there a less-trafficked or slower speed limit route you can take, or do all points lead to this stretch of road? Sometimes the longer route is much more relaxing.