Hi Bee!

As for protection in the rink...
even though other people seldom wear stuff, I think it's good especially for people older than 30 to wear:
Helmet (can't replace your brain)
Knee pads
Wrist protectors
and here is my secret weapon:
Crash Pads Shorts
I wear them under a swirly short skirt so you don't see much of the pads.
I have fallen on my butt both with and without them on - and the difference is amazing.
They are not cheap, but I tried 4 different brands and found that these were twice as good as the others all were. Amazing tailbone protection!

Don't worry about how you look- just think about how you are setting a good example for some people there.

I suggest you just take it slow and easy and don't skate faster than you feel secure doing. Take your time and enjoy the e-a-s-y feeling of skating slowly at first. Keep your knees BENT and you will usually avoid flipping over backwards.