The pedal extenders are probably answer #1 for you and now you have some more stuff to ponder too!
Chalk up another point for the forum. 
Jerry, FWIW I have the exact same problem as you (after a childhood of playing soccer and now 3 years of long-distance running). The KH percussion armor has worked for me, though it doesn’t cover the back of my calves 100%, it saves me from tire abrasion and pedal bites. When I started riding, the insides of my calves were always scraped and bruised to you-know-where because of the tire, but the percussion armor has made all of that go away.
Be careful about forcing your feet to be more parallel. It’s easy to create knee stress by turing your feet inward. Try turning them a little bit and see how it feels. during and after your ride.
Another thing to consider is riding more on the balls of your feet and then twisting your leg to move your ankle/calves away from the frame.
I’m the same age your are and having problems with my knees so I’ve become sensitive to anything that causes knee pain.
i have the same ones
Not much to add, just damn. I’ve never seen shins that vascular. Ridiculous.
Thanks for the latest info.
Natosha:
It’s a relief to know that I’m not the only one to suffer from this. The interesting thing is that KH Percussion leg protection is of a similar order of cost as a pair of pedal extenders! But with 4 unis (3 in common use) KH seems to win on that score - unless I swap each time I want to use a different uni. That is not so practical.
I haven’t got round to inquiring about the extenders locally. Ebay seems the main source with US suppliers who claim to post only to US. We do have a US office so I may be able to get them that way.
Ezas:
Thanks for the reminder about the risk of creating knee problems. Having learned to ride a bike properly (i.e. with balls of feet on pedals rather than the instep), that’s what’s most comfortable on the uni. The main risk then comes when trying jumps as all the force gets transmitted to the Achilles tendons. I’m still learning to hop at the moment, but I am aware of this.
And WickedBob:
Sorry, but I did try to spare you the pain of the pictures! The veins are probably the result of damaged valves caused by repeated impact while dancing. Imagine hopping on your (and other peoples’) toes for 2-3 hours at a time. The other reason is that the shins are such a long way from the head! I am 6’3".
Jerry