default path to $ in redis fixed the issue

db.py

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from redis import Redis
 from dotenv import load_dotenv
 from uuid import uuid4
 
-load_dotenv()
+load_dotenv(".env.local")
 import os
 import json
 from redis.commands.json.path import Path
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ def get_client() -> Redis:
         host=os.environ["REDIS_HOST"],
         port=os.environ["REDIS_PORT"],
         password=os.environ["REDIS_PASSWORD"],
-        decode_responses=True,
+        ssl=os.environ.get("REDIS_USE_SSL", "True") == "True",
+        decode_responses=True
     )
     return client
 
@@ -45,12 +46,12 @@ def create_user(client: Redis, user: User):
 
 def get_user_by_username(client: Redis, username: str) -> Optional[User]:
     uid = client.get(f"user:uuid:by-username:{username}")
-    user = client.json().get(f"user:by-uid:{uid}")
+    user = client.json().get(f"user:by-uid:{uid}", "$")[0]
     return user
 
 
 def get_user_chat_by_uid(client: Redis, uid: str) -> List[Chat]:
-    chats = client.json().get(f"chats:by-user-uid:{uid}")
+    chats = client.json().get(f"chats:by-user-uid:{uid}", "$")[0]
     return chats
 
 
@@ -63,9 +64,9 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     client = get_client()
     user = User(username="foo", uid="afa03747-a9ce-4200-964c-7816ec381fa9")
     chat = Chat(patient="foo", messages=[("a", "b"), ("c", "d")])
-
     create_user(client, user)
     user = get_user_by_username(client, user['username'])
+    print("user", user)
     add_chat_by_uid(client, chat, user['uid'])
     chats = get_user_chat_by_uid(client, user['uid'])
     print(chats)