diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 8e2aa6f..ad7bf4f 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ RUN apk add --no-cache --virtual .build-deps build-base git
 RUN apk add --upgrade --no-cache bash sqlite libffi-dev tzdata
 
 ENV TZ America/New_York
+ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED 1
 
 # Set the working directory in the container to /app
 WORKDIR /app
diff --git a/app.py b/app.py
index 6f6b248..e13f70a 100644
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -48,20 +48,27 @@ def create_app(config_name):
 
 
     def send_push_notification(subscription_info, message, vapid_key):
+        result = True
         try:
-            private_key_bytes = bytes.fromhex(vapid_key.private_key)
+            private_key_hex = vapid_key.private_key
+            private_key_der = bytes.fromhex(private_key_hex)
+
+            private_key_base64 = base64.b64encode(private_key_der).decode()
             
             webpush(
                 subscription_info=subscription_info,
                 data=json.dumps(message),
-                vapid_private_key=private_key_bytes,
+                vapid_private_key=private_key_base64,
                 vapid_claims={
                     "sub": "mailto:your-email@example.com"
                 }
             )
             
-        except WebPushException as e:
+        except Exception as e:
+            result = False
             print(f"Failed to send notification: {e}")
+            
+        return result
 
             
     def is_valid_base64_url(s):
@@ -127,9 +134,9 @@ def create_app(config_name):
         }
 
         message = {"title": "Subscription Successful", "body": "Thank you for subscribing!"}
-        send_push_notification(subscription_info, message, vapid_key)
-
-        return jsonify(success=True)
+        success = send_push_notification(subscription_info, message, vapid_key)
+        
+        return jsonify(success=success, message=vapid_key.private_key)
 
 
     @app.route('/web-push/unsubscribe', methods=['DELETE'])
diff --git a/webpush.py b/webpush.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b21b723
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webpush.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+from pywebpush import webpush, WebPushException
+
+import json
+
+# these below will only work for the browser that acquired the subscription info.  You will need to extract those from our console OR the db.
+
+# https://fcm.googleapis.com/fcm/send/e5jo1pnUZPA:APA91bEwHV2DeLybHc23G_-zJ4FXIdK_fh16ANVOrBekDeKNdmvZ0ukkPXsYGvq629KR2_ZK2w6rQHwC6hkbZ6Xqg0HktarvFT7wTQPjq7bkLgqqjOoONYZDPriDd9DvkD2vamzrPoBx
+# BCj38CJs7M9rXDnZLBVU-XHYrAIdqCuTdscC_Waj96Z2KcMuTHI46kKssjmNwdkIae3Plr__UXbisdC5YPsIeFA
+# 8cyYFZDqjGiZ4nBMfa2L8Q
+
+# MIGHAgEAMBMGByqGSM49AgEGCCqGSM49AwEHBG0wawIBAQQgrIaKlYimnslibbhXyq5CsNZUKIq/c7DY8aa0P/8JNQihRANCAARm2kU8Hnk9fiGrY7M06A+WcVqpfleGObX+gJL4dS+m4fkYIySEbHC/GjSAQRunh+ZSvoBJo2oUKUaB90XExMT3
+
+subscription_info = {
+    "endpoint": "https://fcm.googleapis.com/fcm/send/e5jo1pnUZPA:APA91bEwHV2DeLybHc23G_-zJ4FXIdK_fh16ANVOrBekDeKNdmvZ0ukkPXsYGvq629KR2_ZK2w6rQHwC6hkbZ6Xqg0HktarvFT7wTQPjq7bkLgqqjOoONYZDPriDd9DvkD2vamzrPoBx",
+    "keys": {
+        "p256dh": "BCj38CJs7M9rXDnZLBVU-XHYrAIdqCuTdscC_Waj96Z2KcMuTHI46kKssjmNwdkIae3Plr__UXbisdC5YPsIeFA",
+        "auth": "8cyYFZDqjGiZ4nBMfa2L8Q"
+    }
+}
+
+data = json.dumps({"title": "test", "message": "here is a message"})
+
+try:
+    webpush(subscription_info,
+            data,
+#            vapid_private_key="./private_key.pem",
+            vapid_private_key="MIGHAgEAMBMGByqGSM49AgEGCCqGSM49AwEHBG0wawIBAQQgrIaKlYimnslibbhXyq5CsNZUKIq/c7DY8aa0P/8JNQihRANCAARm2kU8Hnk9fiGrY7M06A+WcVqpfleGObX+gJL4dS+m4fkYIySEbHC/GjSAQRunh+ZSvoBJo2oUKUaB90XExMT3",
+            vapid_claims={"sub": "mailto:matthew.raymer@gmail.com"})
+except WebPushException as ex:
+    print(f"An error occurred: {ex}")
+    # Check if there is a response from the remote service.
+    if ex.response:
+        response_data = ex.response.json()
+        print(f"Response from remote service: {response_data}")