I've been faced with a lot worse and body armor was the required gear. I can understand your skittish-ness, but really, aside from seeking professional help, there really is not much you can do other than ride again. Nothing wrong with wearing pads and wrist guards like the ones people use for skating and it depends on how tolerant you are regarding funny stares from others.

You could also try looking at tadpole trikes. Now those are some fun machines!